Bowling aid



April 26, 1966 c. R. METZGER BOWLING AID Filed Dec. 19, 1963 INVENTOR. Ccw'Z 7771952 United States Patent Office 3,248,112 Patented Apr. 26, 1966 3,248,112 BOWLING AID Carl R. Metzger, 32 Schauf Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. Filed Dec. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 331,758 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-54) 7 This invention relates to bowling aids and is particularly concerned with devices which aid in handling and controling a bowling hall.

For many years attempts have been made to enable a bowler to obtain consistently that control of the ball which gives pin-mixing" power, i.e. the dispersion of struck pins in such manner as to knock down other pins. A lifting and turning of the ball as it is released is desired to accomplish this result. However, since such lifting and turning is difficult to achieve consistently, many devices of diffierent types have been offered in efforts to help the bowler. Most of these devices have failed to take into account the important role played in controlling the ball by the external fingers of the bowler, i.e. the fingers which are not inserted in holesin the ball. These are usuall the index finger and the little finger.

The external .fingers are quite important in holding the ball secure on the hand of the bowler during the swing of the ball prior to its release, in keeping the wrist firm, and in lifting and turning the ball.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide means that may be used by a bowler for improving control of a bowling ball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means that may be conventiently used on the external fin-- gers of a bowler to improve his control of a bowling ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide controlling means of the character described which will give a bowler a more secure grip on a bowling ball and aid him in lift ing it.

Another object of the invention is to provide controlling means of the character described that improves the grip of the external fingers of a bowler on a bowling ball.

A further object of the present invention is to provide controlling means of the character described that can be 7 ling means of the character described which enables a bowler to exercise more and better control over the ball.

Other objects and advantages of .the present invention will be apparent from the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the front or active side of a bowling aid or ball controlling device according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the back side of the bowling aid shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 -4 of FIGURE 1.

The foregoing objects are achieved by providing for the bowler a plurality of flexible finger covers. One such cover is illustrated in the drawings. As shown, the cover, generally designated by the numeral 11, is essentially cylindrical with one end closed as shown at 12. Preferably around the out-side of the open 'end of the cover and extending toward the other, closed, end thereof is a series of spaced annular ribs 14, having between them portions 15 of reduced diameter. I 7

On the front or active side of the bowling aid or finger cover and extending from the annualar ribs 14 to the closed end 12 of the cover, is a series' of outwardly projecting, longitudinally extending ribs 17. These ribs are relatively closely spaced and, as a group, preferably cover more than half of the circumference of the finger cover 11. In most instances it is desirable to have the group of longitudinal ribs cover at least about two-thirds of the cover circumference. In the back side of the finger cover 11 a plurality of spaced apart ventilating holes 20 are provided between the annular ribs 14 and the closed end 12.-

It will be understood, of course, that bowling aids according to the present invention may and will be manufactured in various sizes to fit fingers of different sizes. Further, the provision of the series of annular ribs 14 around the open end of the finger cover permits the length of the cover to be shortened as desired so that it extends only -as far down on the finger as is convenient or comfortable. Shortening of the finger cover is accomplished quite simply by merely cutting one or more'of the ribs 14 from the open end of the cover. As will be evident, the finger covers will readily fit either hand. Consequently the present novel bowling aids are equally available for both right-handed and left-handed bowlers.

The size and spacing of the annular and longitudinal ribs, 14 and 17, respectively, will vary in accordance with the size of the finger cover. It will also be apparent that the shape or profile of the ribs may be varied as desired. Variation in the number, shape, and location of the ventilation holes 20 in the back of the cover is likewise possible.

The use of the present novel bowling aids is simple but effective. external fingers, i.e. the index and little fingers, where they are effective to stabilize and provide increased control of the ball during the swing and to lift and turn the ball as it is released from the hand.

The longitudinal ribs 17 on the front or active side of the finger covers produce the effectiveness of thepresent bowling aids since they grip the face of the ball and maintain it in place while it is being carried before release. Then as the :ball is released the movement of the external fingers is passed through the ribs to the ball thereby giving it the desired increased lift and turn. This results in much greater pin-mixing power, which coupled with the better control of the ball makes possible higher scores.

The annular ribs 14, as mentioned above, provide a way to adjust the length of the finger cover bowling aids. They also provide grips for pulling the covers on the fingers. In few if any instances are the ribs 14 of importance lation holes 20 are desirable to allow evaporation of perspiration and to make it easier to pull the covers on the fingers.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that the bowling aids of the present invention are novel in construction, inexpensive to produce, and effective in use. It is intended that the present invention should not be limited to the precise design illustrated but that it should be interpreted as broadly as permitted by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling aid adapted to be worn on one of thefingers of the hand with which -a bowling ball is gripped that remains on the outside of the ball, said aid comprising a generally cylindrical, flexible finger cover having a closed end and an open end, said finger cover being pro- Normally they will be worn on the two usual finger cover, and said finger cover being further provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting ribs extending longitudinally thereof from said closed end for a major portion of the length of said cover but terminating short of the innermost of said circumferential ribs, said longitudinal ribs being provided on a major portion of the cir-,

cumference of said finger cover and being smaller than said circumferential ribs.

2. A bowling aid as defined in claim 1 in which said cover is provided with at least one ventilation hole.

3. A bowling aid as defined in claim 2 in which said ventilation hole is provided in an area of said cover tree of projecting ribs.

4. A bowling aid adapted to -be worn on one of the fingers of. the hand with which a bowling ball is gripped that remains on the outside of the ball, said aid comprising a generally cylindrical, flexible finger cover having a closed end and an open end, said finger cover being provided, adjacent said open end with a plurality of longitudinally spaced, outwardly projecting ribs, said ribs extending continuously around the circumference of said finger cover, and said finger cover being further provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting ribs extending 6. A bowling aid as defined in claim 5 in which said i ventilation hole is provided in an area of said cover free i of projecting ribs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 942,003 11/1909 Marsh 29425 2,462,208 2/1949 Meyer 294-25 3,038,723 6/1962 Bergendorf 273-54 r 3,091,455 5/1963 Mire 273-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 10,118 5/1902 Great Britain.

GERALD FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.-

SAMUEL F; COLEMAN, Examiner. 

1. A BOWLING AID ADAPTED TO BE WORN ON ONE OF THE FINGERS OF THE HAND WITH WHICH A BOWLING BALL IS GRIPPED THAT REMAINS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BALL, SAID AID COMPRISING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL, FLEXIBLE FINGER COVER HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID FINGER COVER BEIN GPROVIDED, ADJACENT SAID OPEN END WITH A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED, OUTWARDLY PROJECTTING RIBS, SAID RIBS EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID FINGER COVER, AND SAID FINGER COVER BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF OUTWARDLY PROJECTING RIBS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF FROM SAID CLOSED END FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE LENGTH OF SAID COVER BUT TERMINATING SHORT OF THE INNERMOST OF SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL RIBS, SAID LONGITUDINAL RIBS BEING PROVIDED ON A MAJOR PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID FINGER COVER AND BEING SMALLER THAN SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL RIBS. 